WHAT more is needed to make streets safer for women? Yesterday, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chief constables from across the country discussed this question, following the tragic death of Sarah Everard in London.

Today, the government announced it will double its Safer Streets fund to £45 million to provide better lighting and CCTV at night.

The increased funding for the scheme will target parks, alleyways and routes from bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnston said: “We must do everything we can to ensure our streets are safe, and we are bringing in landmark legislation to toughen sentences and put more police on the streets.

“We are also now taking further steps to provide greater reassurance, such as providing better lighting and greater use of CCTV in parks and routes women may take on their walks home.

“Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.”

In Hampshire, street lights, or lack thereof, have been a topic of regular contention, after the county council reduced their hours - shutting them off between 1am and 4am - in a bid to save energy, back in 2019.

Now, there are renewed calls for a review of the night-time lighting, with one Basingstoke resident saying she fears for shift-workers “plunged into darkness”, and Andover’s Cllr Iris Anderson adding: “Safety of the community comes before money.”

When the Gazette asked its readers on Facebook whether, given recent events, a review of night-time streetlights were needed, more than 100 people responded.

The views were mixed, with some pointing out the energy and cost savings associated with reduced streetlight hours, as well as the light pollution for those living nearby.

However, many took the opposite view, saying that it left people vulnerable, particularly those working night time shifts.

Teresa Johnstone commented: “I work early mornings and leave the house at 3.30am. Trust me, it's creepy not knowing, or being able to see, who's about.

“Several times I've sworn I could hear somebody about. Yes, it was probably just a cat or fox, but for a lone female it's worrying. I'd love the lights to be put back on.”

Sarah Hutchings, from Popley, works at McDonald’s at the Leisure Park. She used to drive home when her shift ended at 3am, but has since switched to an earlier shift after having to park several streets away one night and “walk through dark alleyways” because there was an ambulance attending an incident near her home.

She said: “I spoke to my husband about how I wasn’t comfortable, and I changed my shift. I have now attached a torch to my bag because you can’t so much as see the keyhole on your front door!”

Sarah added that she often bumps into her neighbour who is leaving for work as she arrives home, as neither of them can see each other.

“I am fortunate that I drive, there are lots of people, men and women, who have to walk back in the dark. I am 50 years old now but it’s still intimidating.

“We are not only talking about people stumbling home from nightclubs. What about workers? What about ambulance drivers? And even if they are coming home from a night out they don’t deserve to be plunged into darkness. How must it feel for somebody walking home at 1am and all of a sudden everything goes dark, that’s got to be scary.

“I just feel like the lights need to be on. It’s like being back in Victorian times with no street lighting. I suggest anybody who hasn’t experienced how dark it is take a walk around the block a couple of times and you will see. It’s quite a worry.”

The street light reduction was a decision made county-wide by Hampshire County Council in 2019, and has since been met with several pleas for review in light of burglaries and break-ins.

After a spate of these crimes in his BDBC ward of Kings Furlong at the end of last year, Cllr Jack Cousens urged people to ‘make their voices heard’ on the issue.

Now, Test Valley borough councillor, Iris Anderson (Conservative, Andover St Mary’s) is urging the county council to reconsider in the wake of recent events.

She said: “I would like to see the county council think about what has happened, to think very seriously about this. There have already been tragedies, let’s think about the cost of this.

“Safety has got to come first. There are lots of things that we can be doing to save energy, but not something that risks safety.”

In Basingstoke, borough council leader Cllr Ken Rhatigan said that “safety of our community is one of our headline aims”, adding: “I, with four sisters, feel very strongly that everybody should be safe. At the moment, during lockdown, hopefully there is better behaviour because people aren’t out, but that does not mean that the threat isn’t there. We need to make women feel safe on the streets, therefore alarms are important, as well as always letting someone know where you’re going and who with, and how you are getting home.

“Community safety and safety of females here in Basingstoke and Deane is a priority, not just for us as a council but for the police and community support officers too.”

When asked whether he would be working with the county council to address concerns locally regarding street lights, Cllr Rhatigan said: “I have not heard that street robberies or sexual incidents have increased since the lights went out, but I am happy to ask the question of our Hampshire colleagues.”

However, Hampshire County Council says there is 'no direct relationship between street lighting times and changes in crime patterns', but that it 'welcomes' the government's increase in funding.

Councillor Rob Humby, deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and environment, said: “Firstly my thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sarah Everard - what has happened is awful and I recognise it puts issues of night time safety, especially amongst women, into focus.

“The Government’s announcement that the Safer Streets fund is to be increased is welcome and we look forward to understanding more about what that means for Hampshire. In the meantime, I would like to reassure residents that we work closely with the Police and actively review street lighting arrangements in areas where they express concern.

"When the decision was made to switch off streetlights between 1am and 4am in residential areas of Hampshire, as well as responses to our consultation, we took into account academic research and evidence from other authorities which showed there is no direct relationship between street lighting times and changes in crime patterns.

"Turning street lights off during these hours helps to achieve both carbon emission reductions as well as the financial savings required to meet funding pressures arising from growing demands across council services, particularly in social care for adults and children.”